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New robot revolutionizes automation as worker’s third hand. It is ultrasensitive and can work in areas that were previously off-limits to its fellow robots: The LBR iiwa from KUKA will be working live at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. LBR is the German acronym for “lightweight robot”, while iiwa stands for “intelligent industrial work assistant”.

New robot revolutionizes automation as worker’s third handIt is ultrasensitive and can work in areas that were previously off-limits to its fellow robots: The LBR iiwa from KUKA will be working live at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. LBR is the German acronym for "lightweight robot", while iiwa stands for "intelligent industrial work assistant". The LBR iiwa is the first mass-produced, sensitive robot which is optimized for human-robot interaction in automation. Humans and robots can now share the same workspace and even the same jobs. The user can put the robot into any desired position by hand; it learns intuitively so that programming skills are not required.

Unique the world over: With special torque sensors in all seven joints, the robot is able to assume even the most delicate automated assembly tasks with great sensitivity, position itself perfectly and serve as the human's third hand. It is also able to work with very fragile objects without causing any damage. In the event of unexpected contact, the intelligent robot immediately reduces its kinetic energy so that no injuries result. This eliminates the extra costs involved for safety systems like protective fences.

The housing is made completely of aluminum, which is why the robot is such a lightweight. An LBR iiwa weighs in at a total of only 22.3 kilograms at a payload capacity of seven kg or 29.5 kg at 14 kg of payload capacity. Its kinetics mimic the human arm so that it can position and apply the tool from different angles. That's why it proves the ideal partner in cramped, difficult installation positions. Mechanics and cables are designed to last for at least 30,000 operating hours.

Intelligent motors: Sensitive without sensors Sensors are everywhere these days. In a car, for example, they warn you if something gets too close, or the coolant begins to overheat, or the gas tank is running low. However, these sensitive miniature sensors can also break down, rendering your car helpless on the side of the road. What applies to cars also applies to machinery and equipment of all kinds - a defective sensor can result in production downtimes and lost business. But now, a new sensor category that works completely without sensors is being presented by researchers from the University of Saarland at HANNOVER MESSE 2016.

These researchers use the engine itself as the sensor, by intercepting the measurement data that is routinely generated during regular operation. Like a doctor can deduce information on a patient's health based on the bloodwork done, they can use the engine data to find out how well the engine is working. They determine the engine condition reflected by particular measurement data as well as any changes in measured values when things are no longer running as they should. Particularly the signals from normal operation provide the researchers with the information they need: The more data they have on an engine, the more efficiently they can make it run. The researchers use the data to identify the signal patterns that deliver important information or appear when certain changes occur, for example, defects or wear-and-tear. They then develop mathematical models for the different engine conditions as well as for the extent of defects and wear-and-tear. These results get fed into a microcontroller, the brain of the system that evaluates the data. If the signals change, the controller can allocate them to a specific malfunction and react accordingly.

Like a TV detective: Infrared cameras for industrial useWe've all seen our favorite TV detectives do it: When the bad guys are getting away in the dark, the good guys pull out infrared cameras to follow them and hunt them down. That's because these cameras make human body heat visible. The same principle can also be put to good use in industry: In this case, thermal imaging cameras are used for non-contact temperature measurement. The Dias Infrared specialists from Dresden will be showing the latest areas of application and devices at HANNOVER MESSE 2016.

Infrared thermography, i.e. measuring and representing the surface temperature of certain objects, supports process control and monitoring, quality control and early fire detection in industry. The cameras also play an important role in research and development: They are able to detect temperature distribution with high thermal resolution on stationary and moving measurement objects. The challenge is to minimize measuring errors due to inaccuracies in emissivity. That’s why the measuring process should use as short a wavelength as possible. This year, the Dresden-based company will present PYROVIEW 768N, a high-resolution infrared camera that operates using particularly short wavelengths. A one-gigabit Ethernet interface makes it possible to transmit data in real time without loss at up to 50 frames per second. Depending on the application, different wide-angle, tele and macro lenses as well as special combustion chamber lenses are available - to measure temperature distributions of up to 3,000 degrees.

Predictive maintenance: Preventing damage proactivelySmart maintenance is just one of the topics presented by Schaeffler, an automotive and industry supplier, at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. "Predictive maintenance" makes it possible: Thanks to digitization, all the steps along the supply chain can now be tracked from the sensor right on up to the cloud.

Now that IT has become an integral part of production, intelligent systems ensure it is possible to proactively prevent machine downtimes, maintenance expense, drops in quality or production problems. At the world’s largest technology event, Schaeffler will demonstrate the future of condition monitoring with data backup and processing, as well as how online services customers will profit from remote monitoring for machines and equipment and how, for the first time, maintenance intervals can be determined on the basis of the relevant strain.

While maintenance engineers were once forced to devote a great deal of time and effort to filtering out and processing information from many different individual systems, Schaeffler will present a digital platform that bundles, evaluates and interprets all the data. The data collected by the sensors is fed into the cloud, thus making it possible to monitor the condition of a machine located anywhere that is networked digitally. With their modular design, Schaeffler's products and services can be customized to meet all types of different requirements. Two cloud-based solutions will be on display at the booth: First, a system for the optimal maintenance of rolling bearings and second, a process for the automatic diagnosis of rolling bearing damage, misalignment, and imbalance.

Markings that stand up to the most rigorous testingMany products are exposed to extreme conditions, either during the manufacturing process or during actual use. High temperatures, aggressive chemicals, along with tough climate and environmental conditions, make exacting demands on workpiece surfaces. Component labeling based on barcodes or matrix codes normally falls victim to such conditions. But now, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) is showcasing an exception to this rule - the new CeraCode, available for your perusal at HANNOVER MESSE 2016.

The new technology is based on the use of ceramic luminescent materials for inkjet printers. These materials display a pronounced luminescence in response to optical excitation, e.g. by UV radiation. To create an individual labeling, the special ink containing the luminescent materials is printed onto the component or part. As a barcode or data matrix code, the label contrasts highly with the subsurface, regardless of ambient conditions. The ink exhibits excellent adhesion to a wide variety of different materials and is highly resilient both thermally and chemically.

These fuel cells are megaEurope's first fuel-cell power plant in the megawatt category is scheduled to go into operation this summer. With a nominal capacity of 1.4 MW, some 11.2 GWh of electricity and about 6,000 MWh of thermal energy will be generated from natural gas in the future. FuelCell Energy Solutions (FCES) from Dresden delivers the fuel cells and will be happy to answer any questions that visitors to HANNOVER MESSE 2016 might have on this exciting project.

In addition, visitors to the booth can marvel at the longest stack of fuel cells in the world and, at the same time, get information on individual, efficient and clean energy generation, combined with heat, cold or process steam from natural or biogas delivered directly to their locations.

Atmospheric wizardry drives new injection molding process for aluminum partsWhat has long been possible for steel or titanium - making geometrically complex parts using a special injection molding process, with metallic powder as the raw ingredient - has up to now seemed impossible for aluminum. But now researchers at the Technical University of Vienna (TU Vienna) have succeeded in changing the ambient atmosphere under which such parts are manufactured, allowing the process to be applied to aluminum as well. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016 this new aluminum injection molding process will be unveiled to a global trade audience.

Known as "sintering", powder-based molding processes have long failed with aluminum because they normally take place in a low-oxygen environment, whereas aluminum requires a high-oxygen environment. But if the ambient oxygen atmosphere is replaced by nitrogen, temperatures can be raised considerably, making it possible to produce complex-shaped components out of aluminum as well. This is particularly interesting for industries where lightweight design plays a key role - from the automotive to the aerospace industry. With regard to mass production, the new aluminum injection molding process can lead to a weight and material reduction of more than 50 percent. The powdery base material is moreover relatively inexpensive, so that even relatively large components can be produced at a reasonable cost. In addition, TU Vienna will be showcasing solutions for novel and inexpensive design options for the high towers used for wind power turbines as well as methods for the energy-efficient, inexpensive transport of the hydrogen (H2) produced by renewable sources of energy via the conventional natural gas network.

It's all about quantity: New pump concept for exact dosageWhether it's at the hospital bed or in the laboratory, doctors and researchers are often confronted with the same problem: Liquids need to be dosed with absolute accuracy. After all, getting too much or too little of their medication in an IV drip could make a dramatic difference in a patient's health. In the lab, the exact amount of substances also forms the basis for analysis. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016, the University of Ulm will be presenting a new type of pump concept used for the exact portioning of fluids.

The heart of the concept is made up of four individually controllable plungers, which draw in and dispense liquid separately from one another. To prevent pressure peaks, only three of the four units are ever active at the same time. The fourth plunger on pause balances out even the most minimal residual pulsation. The pump is small, lightweight and can be used for hot and toxic as well as sterile fluids.

AlkaBev converts plain tap water into super-clean, antioxidant waterWater ionizers remove the acidic elements from water. The resulting alkaline water is considered to promote health and wellness. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016, the QMP company from California is showing how such super-clean water can be produced using an absolute minimum of energy, in the form of the Alkabev water purification system.

This is the first ionizer to produce hydrogen-rich antioxidant water without the use of electricity. All the user needs to do is hook the system up to a conventional water faucet. The water is then ionized by passing it through several different layers of a unique filter system. The only electrical component is an electric display, which notifies the user when it’s time to change the filter.